1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to mobile devices, and more particularly, to systems and methods for enabling a mobile device to indicate the existence of accessible information about an identified article of commerce.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable digital devices are now common. Examples include the various Windows™ Pocket PC devices which have an operating system created by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Other devices include various mobile phone devices including many that have built-in camera imaging devices. Still other portable digital devices include portable media players from Creative Media of Singapore, Samsung of South Korea, Archos, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. and Apple Computers, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Additionally, Sony of New York and Japan manufacture a portable game playing device called the Sony PSP™ (PlayStation Portable).
Increasingly, many of these portable media devices include a means of transmitting and receiving digital content. Various communications technologies are frequently built into these devices. Examples of portable communicating devices include mobile phones which employ GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, and FOMA technology, among other standards, to send and receive data in addition to handling voice communications. Many of the portable media devices also include transmission capabilities including Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11a, b, g and x among others), Bluetooth™ infrared, etc., to allow the user to transmit and receive digital content. The Sony PSP™ device, for example, includes Wi-Fi (i.e., IEEE 802.11b) to transmit and receive digital data.
The above-described mobile devices may employ an incorporated imaging device to scan Universal Product Codes (UPCs) or other symbologies disposed on articles of commerce to receive more information on such articles. The mobile devices use a communication means to access the Internet to receive such information. However, these devices take time to connect to the Internet (if Internet service is even available) and then the user still may or may not have information on the article of commerce. If the user takes two or three minutes to scan and connect and then information is not available, it is frustrating to the user. In this age of ‘instant gratification and information’, a need exists for a system and method to allow a consumer to determine whether or not information pertaining to an identified article of commerce may be obtained. Also, a need exists to allow a consumer to determine whether this information is accessible while the consumer is on the go. A further need exists for a mobile device to allow a consumer offline access to immediately determine if product information is available for a particular article of commerce, via a visual or audible indication on the mobile device.